Frankfurt is located along the River Main, near where it connects to the Rhine. Frankfurt is located in southwestern Germany, in the Hesse or Hesse region.
Frankfurt is the fifth largest city in Germany, with a population of around 650,000.
How to get to Frankfurt
Frankfurt Airport is located at the intersections of the A3 and A5 motorways. Terminal 1 is well connected to the Frankfurt transport system, offering S-Bahn and train connections for long or short trips.
Frankfurt Airport is the second busiest in Europe. Many Lufthansa flights from the US use it as a hub.
Note that there is a second airport, Frankfurt-Hahn Airport, which is actually 120km from the city and is blatantly described as ‘Frankfurt’ to entice Ryanair passengers to fly here.
There are two train stations at Frankfurt Airport. The regional train station is located below Terminal 1. From here, the S-Bahn commuter trains depart for the center of Frankfurt and the Hauptbahnhof. Here also the RegionalExpress and StadtExpress trains serve many destinations in Germany. The AIRail Terminal long-distance train station is linked by a connecting building to Terminal 1. From here, high-speed trains leave for the central stations of Cologne and Stuttgart.
Taxis are available in front of both terminals. Free transfers take you between the two terminals.
Frankfurt’s Main Train Station, or Hauptbahnhof, is on the west side of the city, just north of the River Main. The historic center of Frankfurt, called Römerberg, is located right in front of the station. Tourist information is located at the front of the station, as are the S and U-Bahn stops. Other tourist information can be found in Römerberg.
If you plan to do a lot of train travel in Germany, you may want to consider a German rail pass. You can save money on longer train trips, but Railpasses are not guaranteed to save you money.
Where to stay
The area around the Frankfurt train station is a curious area. It is home to the European Central Bank… and countless brothels and sex shops. The area is not too rough, but it is seedy and not the best place to stay. However, if you only have one night on the town and need to leave early in the morning, this is definitely an option (you can read the reviews on Tripadvisor).
Otherwise, stay south of the river at Sachsenhausen (not to be confused with the concentration camp of the same name) for a better Frankfurt experience (compare hotel prices in Sachsenhausen, Frankfurt).
Day trips from Frankfurt
Some of the best things to do from Frankfurt are their day trips. The following places can be visited by car, but a tour makes it much easier.
- The Rhine Valley – Cruise among vineyards and castles on top of the mountains. Take a look at this Rhine Valley cruise.
- Heidelberg – Visit this medieval city on a half-day tour from Frankfurt. You can combine these two trips with a day trip to Heidelberg and the Rhine Valley.
- Baden-Baden and the Black Forest: a spa town and one of the most beautiful forests in Europe. Combine a visit to both with this Baden-Baden, Strasbourg, and Black Forest tour from Frankfurt.
- Eltz Castle – A medieval castle that is much closer to Frankfurt than the famous Bavarian castles. Check out this visit to Eltz Castle and the Rhine from Frankfurt.
- Speaking of the famous Bavaria and the famous castles, the most famous places in Germany, although quite far away, are also accessible from Frankfurt. However, a guided tour is highly recommended for these destinations, as the logistics of getting this far in one day will be quite difficult if you’ve never been before (not to mention the boredom factor of driving so much, as well as the cost of gasoline) .
- Neuschwanstein Castle – the most famous fairy tale castle in the world. See this on a Neuschwanstein and Rothenburg tour from Frankfurt.
- Munich and Dachau Concentration Camp – Visit the most famous city in Bavaria and one of the largest concentration camps of WWII with a day trip to Munich and Dachau from Frankfurt.
Frankfurt Top Attractions
Frankfurt, known for its modern industrial skyline, has more to offer the traveler than you might think. In addition to the excellent nightlife, as you might expect, there are many museums and an interesting historical center.
You can see the best of Frankfurt on a Frankfurt city tour and Rhine cruise. Here are some highlights of what Frankfurt has to offer:
- Zoologischer Garten: one of the best zoos in Europe. At the end of the Zeil , the pedestrian zone of Frankfurt.
- Keiserdom: Frankfurt Cathedral, with remains of Roman baths next to it. Good view of Frankfurt from the top of the tower.
- Goethehaus und Goethemuseum: Goethe’s house and museum. See where Germany’s most famous writer was born in 1749, with furniture from his family and handwritten manuscripts.
- Grueneburgpark – the largest public park in Frankfurt.
Sachsenhausen, once a separate village said to have been founded by Charlemagne, is a well-preserved neighborhood with pleasant strolling streets and breweries south of the Main.
Museumsufer – Frankfurt Museum Embankment
Along the south bank of the River Main, you will find a series of museums and galleries called Museumsufer. You can buy a Museumsufer discount ticket at the first museum you visit.
- Deutsches Architekturmuseum (German Museum of Architecture)
- Deutsches Filmmuseum (German Film Museum)
- Städel-Museum Frankfurt: 2,700 paintings, 600 sculptures and 100,000 prints and drawings by artists ranging from Dürer, Holbein and Cranach to Rembrandt, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh and Cézanne to Matisse and Picasso, Bacon and Baselitz, Serra and Palermo.
- Museum Giersch (Museum of Regional Historical Art and Culture)
- Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Applied Arts)
- Liebighaus (Liebig House)
- Museum der Weltkulturen (Ethnological Museum)
- Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of communication)
- Jüdisches Museum (Jewish Museum)
Frankfurt Food and drink
Beer, of course, and the famous apfelwein , or apple wine. Look for a pine wreath above the door for a place that serves homemade apfelwein.
Frankfurter Wurstchen you know. Handkas mit Musik is a type of raw onion, cheese and vinegar that is served with bread.
Best time to visit Frankfurt
Late spring and early fall are the best. Avoid Frankfurt during the larger trade fairs, when accommodation is difficult.
Frankfurt markets
Nothing beats street markets for a taste of everyday life. Here are some beloved markets in Frankfurt:
- Konstablerwache Farmers Market, Konstablerwache
- Market in Dornbusch, Carl-Goerdeler-Straße 5
- Sachsenhausen Weekday Market, Südbahnhof
- Ben-Gurion-Ring Monday to Friday market, Nieder-Eschbach
- Frankfurt Fransen flea market, PUT-Eventbühne
Also, rarely used luxury brands can be found in Secondhand Aschenputtel, the German word for Cinderella.
